This article, by Topga Yulgyal Rinpoche, was taken from “Knowledge in Action,” a Newsletter of the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI), New Delhi.
The Kagyu lineage, sometimes referred to as the “oral lineage” of Tibet, originated with the great yogi Tilopa, who lived in Northern India around the 10th century A.D. He is considered the founder of the lineage and, in addition, he received four special transmissions (Tib: bka-babs-bzhi) for which he became the lineage holder.